Greg’s Bistro reopens — again — in Hampton after tough year: 'We're happy to be back'

HAMPTON — Greg’s Bistro is having a grand reopening Saturday for the second time in less than a year after a pipe burst required the restaurant’s bar to be completely gutted and replaced.

It was only supposed to take a month to replace the pipe that broke three days before Christmas, but significant flooding around town in January delayed the work under the bar at Greg’s, according to owner Greg Said.

“We’re happy to be back,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

Said had only been open for seven months after spending months repairing the shop after a drunken driver crashed into its front door.

He said having to close again — this time due to a broken pipe — was frustrating.

Said along with his customers, known as the “Gregulars,” are eager to get back at the bar.

Said bought Greg’s nine years ago. While he wasn’t the original “Greg,” customers say he has become the head of a sort of family at Greg’s where he, the staff and the Gregulars look forward to being each week. The restaurant sells pizza and other takeout on one side and has a bar and seating on the other.

Hampton Beach Sea Ketch restaurant: Owner eyes major expansion. Here's the plan.

Greg’s Bistro reopens despite double disasters

Greg’s was forced to close for seven months after a drunken driver crashed their truck into the front of the restaurant on Nov. 19, 2022, causing significant damage. The vehicle drove through the front door and struck two diners while pinning a bartender to the bar. Those three and the passenger of the truck were hospitalized.

The driver, Stephen Davis of Newburyport, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated DWI and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

The restaurant reopened in June 2023 with a brand-new interior.

The Gregulars said they were thrilled to return after several months without their favorite watering hole.

By December, however, Said began having plumbing issues and the source of the problem was unclear. He said they finally realized it was an old leaky pipe directly under the bar. The only way in was to tear it all apart.

“I was, like, so mad,” he said. “Seven and a half months out of business (after the car crash). A long time, man. Now, how long is this going to take?”

2024 Great Bay Food Truck Festival: What to know before you go

Greg’s Bistro owner: 'I'm never going to give up'

Said said the company fixing the pipe planned to take a month to complete the work. When two major storms caused flooding in January, the company had to respond to those calls before going into Greg’s, he said.

The work was finally done by the end of February, according to Said. He said it took another two months to build the bar back again.

Now, he said it looks like it did before the work began. He said he is eager to see the Gregulars, many had called him in the last couple of months asking when the restaurant would reopen. Some were worried Said would close and move on.

“I said ‘I’m never going to give up,’” he said. “We will be back as soon as we can.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Greg’s Bistro reopens in downtown Hampton after pipe burst guts bar